The proposed £4.5m renovation of the historic Holmes Mill into hotel, restaurant, brewery and tap, function rooms, offices, urban spa with pool and retail units have been approved by Ribble Valley Council.

Lancashire-based Stanton Andrews Architects submitted the application on behalf of Emporia Leisure, owner of Bowland Brewery and James Places, the regional hotel chain which owns and manages numerous historic properties including Mitton Hall Hotel, the Royal at Kirkby Lonsdale and Falcon Manor in Settle, North Yorkshire.

Charles Stanton, director of Stanton Andrews, said: “This multi-million-pound development of nearly 100,000 sq ft, which is expected to create over 150 jobs, can make a significant beneficial impact on the economic viability of the town as well as bringing long disused heritage assets back into productive use. Within the centre of the site and a feature within the new development will be a rare 1910 Cross-compound horizontal engine, supplied by Clayton, Goodfellow & Company, of Blackburn.”

Work started on site immediately with local contractor Frank Ireland.

The mill stopped being used for weaving in the last century and it has been used for general storage since. Bowland Brewery relocated into one of the buildings on site two years ago. The new brewery installation which is four times the size of the existing will be relocated into one of the old mills.

Subject to agreement on planning conditions it is anticipated that the brewery and tap will be operational from late 2016 with the rest of the development coming on stream over the following two years. The site lies on the south side of Clitheroe, within walking distance of the town centre and castle.